The usage of playtesting helps bring light to many issues within games. As described by Fullerton, we had group playtesting, where multiple people were involved and we were capable of having an open discussion.  Since it was impossible to know what point of the game that the player was at, we could not ask many questions during their gameplay and had to wait for their responses at the end. In regards to finding issues within games through testing, this can be seen through the class playtesting from Thursday. To give some context, our group project has multiple stories, which were written by different people and so there are discrepancies between each story as they may have a unique feel for each one, due to our separate writing styles. One of our stories was preferred by many of our playtesters due to the realism that was put within the story through the addition of names. Through the responses in our questionnaire, we were able to realize this helpful piece of information and begin to expand upon the other stories that lacked in the aspect of realism and relatability. 

Other important factors were mentioned. Some questions brought up the idea of lack of choice, which was felt by the player. However, the lack of choice can be beneficial in our case as it helps push the idea that toxicity will happen regardless of what you do. Even with choices, sometimes you cannot change the outcome. It is also important to note that not all people can be accounted for during a playtest depending on your audience. If your playtesters all dislike reading long paragraphs of text, they might not enjoy our twine game. Some responses wanted us to add more images to immerse the player more. This is a great example of easy feedback that can be easily implemented.

Overall, feedback can be very eye opening for a game. It’s challenging to view your own game from an outsider’s perspective, which is why playtesting exists. Sometimes your thoughts cloud judgement that could help benefit and improve your game. In the end, your playtesters are there for the benefit of your game and they will improve it further.

Works Cited

Fullerton, Tracy. Game Design Workshop: a Playcentric Approach to Creating Innovative Games. CRC Press, 2019.